Multi-Epoch Observations of Extremely High-Velocity Emergent Broad Absorption

Abstract

We present the discovery of the highest velocity CIV broad absorption line to date in the z=2.47 quasar SDSS J023011.28+005913.6, hereafter J0230. In comparing the public DR7 and DR9 spectra of J0230, we discovered an emerging broad absorption trough outflowing at ~60,000 km/s, which we refer to as trough A. In pursuing follow up observations of trough A, we discovered a second emergent CIV broad absorption trough outflowing at ~40,000 km/s, namely trough B. In total, we collected seven spectral epochs of J0230 that demonstrate emergent and rapidly (~10 days in the rest-frame) varying broad absorption. We investigate two possible scenarios that could cause these rapid changes: bulk motion and ionization variability. Given our multi-epoch data, we were able to rule out some simple models of bulk motion, but have proposed two more realistic models to explain the variability of both troughs. Trough A is likely an augmented `crossing disk' scenario with the absorber moving at 10,000 < v (km/s) < 18,000. Trough B can be explained by a flow-tube feature travelling across the emitting region at 8,000 < v (km/s) < 56,000. If ionization variability is the cause for the changes observed, trough A's absorber has n_e >= 724 cm^-3 and is at r_{equal} >=2.00 kpc, or is at r < 2.00 kpc with no constraint on the density; trough B's absorber either has n_e >= 1540 cm^-3 and is at r_{equal} >= 1.37 kpc, or is at r < 1.37 kpc with no constraint on the density.

16 pages, 14 figures, 3 tables

References in corpus (18)

• Modeling the Time Variability of SDSS Stripe 82 Quasars as a Damped Random Walk
• The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar Catalog IV. Fifth Data Release
• Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. II. Swift and HST Reverberation Mapping of the Accretion Disk of NGC 5548
• Sizes and Temperature Profiles of Quasar Accretion Disks from Chromatic Microlensing
• Quasar Accretion Disks Are Strongly Inhomogeneous
• X-ray Insights into the Nature of PHL 1811 Analogs and Weak Emission-Line Quasars: Unification with a Geometrically Thick Accretion Disk?
• Quasar Broad Absorption Line Variability on Multi-Year Time Scales
• Emergence of a Broad-Absorption-Line Outflow in the Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Galaxy WPVS 007
• Anatomy of the AGN in NGC 5548: II. The Spatial, Temporal and Physical Nature of the Outflow from HST/COS Observations
• The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping Project: Rapid CIV Broad Absorption Line Variability
• Evidence for Photoionization Driven Broad Absorption Line Variability
• Evidence for AGN Feedback in the Broad Absorption Lines and Reddening of Mrk 231
• Radiation pressure confinement - IV. Application to broad absorption line outflows
• Acceleration and Substructure Constraints in a Quasar Outflow
• NuSTAR Reveals Relativistic Reflection But No Ultra-Fast Outflow In The Quasar PG 1211+143
• Emergence of a Quasar Outflow
• Variability of QSOs with variable regions in broad absorption troughs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
• Chandra X-Ray Observations of Two Unusual BAL Quasars

Cited by in corpus (28)

• The Discovery of A Luminous Broad Absorption Line Quasar at A Redshift of 7.02
• Evidence that 50% of BALQSO Outflows Are Situated at Least 100 pc from the Central Source
• Does the X-ray outflow quasar PDS 456 have a UV outflow at 0.3c?
• On the structure and energetics of quasar broad absorption-line outflows
• Broad absorption line disappearance and emergence using multiple-epoch spectroscopy from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
• CIV Broad Absorption Line Acceleration in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasars
• The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping Project: Systematic Investigations of Short-Timescale CIV Broad Absorption Line Variability
• The WISSH quasars project VI. Fraction and properties of BAL quasars in the hyper-luminosity regime
• Emergence and Variability of Broad Absorption Line Quasar Outflows
• Survey of Extremely High-velocity Outflows in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasars
• HST and Ground-Based Spectroscopy of Quasar Outflows: From Mini-BALs to BALs
• Evidence for photoionization-driven variability in narrow absorption lines
• Broad absorption line disappearance/emergence in multiple ions in a weak emission-line quasar
• Deceleration of CIV and SiIV broad absorption lines in X-ray bright quasar SDSS-J092345+512710
• The SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey: X-ray beacons at late cosmic dawn
• Narrow Absorption Lines Complex. III. Gradual Transition from Type S to Type N Broad Absorption Line
• The SDSS-V Black Hole Mapper Reverberation Mapping Project: CIV BAL Acceleration in the Quasar SBS 1408+544
• No evidence for an Eddington-ratio dependence of X-ray weakness in BALQSOs
• A Catalog of High-Velocity CIV Mini-BALs in the VLT-UVES and Keck-HIRES Archives
• Connection between Emission and Absorption Outflows through the Study of Quasars with Extremely-High Velocity Outflows
• X-ray Insights into the Nature of Quasars with Redshifted Broad Absorption Lines
• On the Origin of the Dramatic Spectral Variability of WPVS 007
• An Unusual Transient in the Extremely Metal-Poor Galaxy SDSS J094332.35+332657.6 (Leoncino Dwarf)
• The physical constraints on a new LoBAL QSO at z=4.82
• Gaia-assisted discovery of a detached low-ionisation BAL quasar with very large ejection velocities
• A New Member of the Fast and Furious Family: A Relativistic and Time-Variable UV Outflow in a Luminous Quasar
• A redshifted excess in the broad emission lines after the flare of the $\gamma$-ray narrow-line Seyfert 1 PKS 2004-447
• A quasar shedding its dust cocoon at redshift 2